Farewell To Dan Boardman

One of the most oft reproduced pics of Dan I've seen. A
photo I took of him with the Spectors at the Court Tavern
New Brunswick, NJ October 1994

Dan Boardman, aged 49, passed away on Thursday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. His wife Jamie posted on Facebook "Dan passed away this morning covered in a blanket of love and shrouded by peace".  It was the saddest thing I ever read. To those who don't know him or aren't familiar with him he was a familiar fixture on the Twin Cities music scene for the past three decades and a local legend in his lake community of Marine on St. Croix in Minnesota. I met him through one of my best friends, Keith Patterson, when Dan was out East as the lead guitarist in The Spectors with Keith and three other guys in December 1993.  From that moment on Dan became one of the funniest people I ever had the pleasure to know. Through spending lots of time in Minneapolis in the late 90's I got to see Dan a lot and he always made me laugh and he was one of the people I'd look forward to seeing whenever I was in town.  Stories of him are legendary and I could do him no justice by attempting to recant them here but they are both numerous and hysterical.  An insight into his sense of humor can be seen in hysterical music videos that he would make where he'd write, sing and film little ditties thanking people for wishing him Happy Birthday on his Facebook page. Here's one:



Here's my favorite and his last one from 2014. These videos only scratch the surface on what a funny guy he was.  He was also a multi talented instrumentalist playing guitar, drums and keyboards in well over half a dozen bands but above all he was an amazing all round great guy just ask anyone who knew him.  In April I flew out for a benefit gig held on his behalf at the Eagles Club in Minneapolis. It was packed to the rafters.  Never in my life have I ever felt such an outpouring of warmth in one place as friends, family, band mates, neighbors, old classmates and strangers raised $22,000 through an evening of music.  Dan surprised us all by not only showing up but joining several bands onstage to play, including joining The Spectors on "Save My Soul" for a full fledged reunion . The organizers of the event asked that people be respectful of Dan's health by not hugging him or crowding him.  I don't think I could have just walked up and waved to him without giving him a big hug or a sloppy kiss so I stayed back. As loads of people surrounded him all night  I realized I wanted him to have time with those around him so I watched, from a distance. He knew I was there and that's all that mattered and I suck at goodbyes.  Goodbye Dan, I'll never forget you or the frozen ham you nicked from a certain club's kitchen to compensate for letting the Spectors crash at my pad two nights in a row in '94.

Dan leaves behind a wife and two children. A public funeral service will be held on Thursday June 25th at 2 PM at Christ Lutheran Church, 150 5th, Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota 55047.

Dan onstage with The Spectors,
The Funhouse, Bethlehem, PA December 1993

Dan's music with the Spectors is available on a compilation CD put out on Get Hip called "Beat Is Murder".  You can hear him singing lead on this wiggy version of Fire's "Treacle Toffee World" here on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/1PJqobpdSMw

And you can check Dan out in action way back when on MN public access TV rocking out to the Attack's "Magic In The Air" here.

Dan at the kit backing the late Gary Burger of The Monks
January 2012 Minneapolis, MN